


Captain America's Vanishing Budget

by Amuly



Category: Marvel 616, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Domestic, Domestic Avengers, Domestic Fluff, HIV/AIDS, M/M, sam wilson: captain america - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-19
Updated: 2015-10-19
Packaged: 2018-04-27 03:27:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5031988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amuly/pseuds/Amuly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dennis Dunphy has a new haircut and a new job, piloting around the brand new Captain America! Of course, now he needs to tell his family about his good fortune. His husband, former superhero sidekick Jack Monroe, can't seem to muster the same enthusiasm as Dennis for new hike in their life insurance premiums.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Captain America's Vanishing Budget

Jack rubbed behind his ear, short hairs scratching loudly to his own hearing as he squinted down at the page. Finally he sighed and passed the pencil over to the girl sitting next to him. "You know, I'm beginning to think they've changed the math cirricculum since I was in eighth grade."

Kicking her legs at the kitchen chair, Bucky snorted as she picked up her pencil once more. "You think?"

Jack tapped her lightly upside the back of the head, laughing as she grumbled and reached up to rub at the spot. "Alright smart-alleck, how about you be smart enough to figure this out?"

Bucky's face fell mightily. "I just don't _get it_. I usually get _everything_. But I can't..."

Jack stared at the problem again. It was graphing, what Bucky was finding so insurmountable. He actually knew _why_ she was having this problem: in the last few weeks of the school year the math class had suddenly switched from algebraic equations to graphing lines, which was a whole different brain-park. Problem is, Jack couldn't remember how to do _either_ of those things. He wished Dennis would get back from his trip: college-boy always remembered this stuff better than Jack did. Not that Jack couldn't do math. He could. It was just very specific kinds of math, like mentally calculating the trajectory of a thrown circular disk on the rebound from a brick wall. Or other things like that.

Just when Jack was going to call it quits and suggest they turn on the TV and be done with it, the front door opened and shut. "Honey-"

Jack groaned and jumped up, stumbling over himself in a race to forestall that _Leave It to Beaver_ bullshit. Of course, that meant he had to kiss Dennis as soon as possible, which was probably why Dennis did it every time.

"Mm," Dennis hummed into the kiss. His lips were smiling against Jack's, beard tickling at his nose. Jack reached up and tugged at that silly thing. He still couldn't decide if he liked it on the day-to-day, but hardly complained when it was tickling his thighs at night, bringing a whole new sensation to their bed. "Miss me?"

"Bucky did," Jack told him, trying to go for a casual shrug and failing utterly. Oh well. Fifteen odd years together (depending on how you counted) meant the cat was pretty much out of the bag as to exactly how much Jack loved Dennis.

As Jack pulled back, however, an actual frown did cross his face. Reaching up he ran his hand through Dennis' hair. Cropped short on the sides but left long on top, it almost looked like- "Did you get a Mohawk again?"

Dennis laughed and reached up, capturing Jack's hand in his own as it tangled through his hair. "It's not a _Mohawk_. It's hip. Like Macklemore."

"Ew."

Jack and Dennis turned together to Bucky peering at them around the kitchen wall. Her nose was wrinkled as she looked up at Dennis.

"You're not cool enough to be Macklemore."

Dennis scoffed and released Jack, racing forward to scoop Bucky up. "Are you kidding me? I was thrift store shopping before Macklemore made it cool. I was the _original_ rich dude slumming it homeless style. Represent."

Bucky squirmed and laughed as Dennis peppered her with kisses. " _No_ , Pop: you are _so_ uncool. Dad is cooler than you."

Jack perked up.

"I mean, at least he's _legit_ retro."

Jack frowned. Was that still complimentary? Probably. He'd pretend it was. Jack smiled again.

"Anyway, I'm glad you're both here." Dennis set Bucky down and smiled. "I've got some news."

Jack frowned again. Hm. "News?"

"I got a new job!"

Jack frowned harder. Dennis was smiling. Dennis was happy. But Dennis was looking at Jack like he was about to explode. This wasn't going to end well.

"And?"

Bucky glanced between the two of them, eyes wide with curiosity. She didn't know what Jack knew. Or what Jack didn't know, but knew was coming.

"And... It's not a big thing, not-"

Jack slumped against the wall and shut his eyes. "Is it heroing? Don't tell me, Dennis, don't-"

"It's _just_ being a pilot-"

" _Whose_ pilot."

"Not Steve's, don't worry-"

Jack pressed one hand over his eyes. "It's Sam's, isn't it?"

"...it's just piloting..."

Jack shook his head. He couldn't. He couldn't- His head swam.

"I need to lie down."

Jack only didn't slam the bedroom door shut behind him because he was shaking too hard.

* * *

Some time later--long enough that Jack had fallen into an angry sleep, then awoken again and turned on the TV, muted but flickering at the end of the bed--the door to their bedroom creaked open. Jack sighed and kept his eyes on the TV for a moment, not seeing the pictures but just bracing himself.

"Jack?"

Jack pushed himself up so he was sitting, back against the headboard. He sighed. "I'm sorry."

"No, no-"

"It's not my choice, I have no right-"

"Of a _course_ you have a right, Jack, you're my husband, of course I should have talked it over with you-"

"Just because I-" Jack stared down at his hands, his wrists. Stared at the blue veins faintly visible beneath the perpetual Florida suntan. Felt that blood pump with every heartbeat. "Just because I can't, anymore."

"That is _not_ why you're mad at me, and we both know it." Crossing the room in two big strides, Dennis joined Jack on the bed. He scooped Jack's hand up tightly in his own and kissed it. "Don't even pretend you're that self-centered. You haven't been for twenty years."

Jack tugged at his earlobe with his free hand. "You're making me feel old."

"You're worried for me."

"Of course I am," Jack murmured. He turned to Dennis and pressed his face to his hair, nuzzling against those freshly-shorn sides. It was kind of sexy, but it was different. It would take some getting used to.

"I'm just his pilot."

"Tell that to Jameson," Jack pointed out. He sighed and pressed a kiss just behind Dennis' ear. "And I know you. You'll dive headlong into some stupid situation because Cap needs you. You'll go ahead and sacrifice yourself without even _thinking_ -"

"No, no." Dennis shook his head, squeezed at Jack's hand. Jack closed his eyes and swallowed hard against the panic threatening to choke him. "I have you two. I have a family to come home to. That's something I never had before. You two, making it back, is the most important thing in the world to me. Nothing takes priority. Not even Cap."

Wiggling himself free of Dennis' steely grip, Jack wrapped himself around Dennis, pulling him as tight as he could. "You are a _liar_ with a stupid Mohawk," Jack grumbled.

"I love you, too."

Jack sighed and sat there, Dennis big and warm and solid in his arms.

"Um. And, uh. I may have to move to New York."

"Do you know how pasty I'm going to look without a tan," Jack sighed.

"I'll buy you a tanning bed with Sam's Cap budget. It's the least I can do."

"Bucky is going to need a whole new wardrobe. Us, too. I doubt the winter coats we moved down with thirteen years ago are still hip. And you can't wear unhip clothes with that super hip haircut you have."

"Yup."

Jack sighed and relaxed his death grip on Dennis. "I'll need to get a new job. Wrap things up here."

"I'm sure they have foster kids in need of homes in New York, too. And Sam's budget will cover all the initial moving costs. We won't have to dip into our savings."

"Did you tell Bucky any of this?"

"Broad strokes. I figured I'd leave the rest of it until after you agreed. Or didn't."

"What'd she say to moving?" Jack asked.

Dennis winced. "Something about the Young Avengers being stationed in New York."

Jack groaned and knocked his head against Dennis'. Repeatedly. "You two. You're going to be the death of me."

Dennis ignored his gallows humor and instead opted to draw him in for a gentle kiss. Jack went with it, only to put the argument to bed. And because Dennis' new haircut really was very sexy.


End file.
